Member for Currumbin Jann Stuckey says it is the Minister for Police who continues to undermine public confidence on the Gold Coast by denying the region adequate police resources and not the Opposition as the Minister claims.

“In yet another attack on the Opposition, who dared to highlight shortcomings of this Labor Government in Parliament last week, the Minister has shown his disregard for the officers he is meant to represent by denying the region the level of policing it deserves,” said Ms Stuckey

“It is no secret that the Gold Coast comes off second best year after year under this Labor Government whether it’s police, ambos, hospital beds or public transport.

“Figures in the QPS Annual Report 07/08 reveal the Gold Coast only had one police officer for every 628 people compared with the state average of one per 429.
When you add in a million plus visitors each year and major events such as ‘schoolies’ the statistics are even worse.

“Yet the best the Minister can do is to hark back to figures of over a decade ago and say his Government have provided extra police.

“Well of course they should. Rapid population growth throughout our coastal strip naturally necessitates more resources, and numbers attending ‘schoolies’ have mushroomed over the past 10 years.

“Our hard-working police officers deserve better support for the increasingly dangerous nature of their work. They do an amazing job under stretched circumstances.

‘It’s a pity this Government are in denial that our dedicated police require more assistance.

“Strategies that involve transferral of police officers from stations like Palm Beach to fill positions in new stations is akin to borrowing from Peter to pay Paul and does little to address growing problems.

“My office receives regular calls from residents who require police assistance but say they do not always receive it in a timely manner.
The majority are not critical of police themselves as they acknowledge that resources are thinly stretched.